Episode 200 B

EPISODE 200
LEVEL B1/B2

READING COMPREHENSION

Bollywood helps inspire a boom in Indian domestic tourism

Film locations encourage new visitors PANGONG LAKE in Ladakh, an expanse of water at an altitude of some 4,350 metres in India’s far Himalayan north-west, is a sublime sight. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks, its icy water is so blue and clear that you can see far down into its depths. Yet these days, the lake’s edge has a new attraction. Along the shore sit a dozen or so scooters, spaced about ten metres apart, as well as a few plastic chairs in three colours, shaped in the form of men’s bottoms. For 30 rupees ($0.41) each, tourists can take pictures of themselves mounted on these props. “This is the signature shot,” enthuses Vivek, an engineer from Delhi, as he clambers on a yellow
scooter.

 

Until a few years ago, few tourists made it to Pangong lake; those who did were mostly intrepid Western backpackers. The road to get there, which crosses the world’s second-highest drivable mountain pass, is a hair raising icy strip built to ferry soldiers to guard the border with China. But that has changed, in large part because of Bollywood. In 2009, “3 Idiots”, a comedy film with Aamir Khan, among India’s favourite actors, featured a scene at the lake and another with the chairs. In 2012 that was followed by “As Long As I Have Life”,
a romance involving Pangong. Now the men in khaki share the road with minibuses full of camera-wielding tourists. Your correspondent was press-ganged into selfies with a crowd of Mumbai office workers.

 

According to the government, the number of domestic-tourism trips taken annually by Indians grew almost eightfold between 2000 and 2017, to 1.65bn. An unmeasurable but significant chunk of that is due to Bollywood. A 14th-century stepwell in Delhi, as featured in “PK”, another of Mr Khan’s films, is thronged with selfie-takers, as is another centuries-old stepwell in Rajasthan. Old forts in Rajasthan and in Goa have far more visitors because of their role in films. Even locations outside India are benefiting, says Jay Kantawala, who runs Wiyo Travel, an upmarket-travel agency in Mumbai. Budapest is a particular favourite, thanks to “I Have Given My Heart Away, Darling” and “When Harry Met Sejal”, two romances. One of the more unlikely destinations is a 45-year-old plane wreck in Iceland, which was featured in “Dilwale”, a romantic-action movie that came out in 2015.

 

Promoting tourism is hardly what filmmakers set out to do. But Indian state tourist boards have cottoned onto the benefits of their landscapes and buildings appearing on screen. In return for filming in new spots, directors increasingly expect things like permits and security to be sorted out smoothly. Airlines—another of India’s fastest-growing industries—promote new routes by reference to films shot nearby.

 

There are downsides. Near Pangong, tourists’ litter is beginning to pollute the source of the Indus river. The flow of traffic, and cars which travel up to the lake’s edge, may be damaging a delicate and near-pristine habitat. Perhaps the next film set there might contain a little encouragement not to wreck the area.
Adapted from the Economist

 

Ex. 1 Find the words or expressions in the text which mean the following:

1. the vertical elevation of an object above a surface (such as sea level or land) of a planet or natural satellite –
2. of very great excellence or beauty –
3. the distance from the top or surface to the bottom of something.
4. put into position for use
5. something used in creating or enhancing a desired effect
6. to make enthusiastic
7. characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance
8. to climb awkwardly
9. to handle (something, such as a tool) especially effectively

 

Ex. 2 Match the expressions from the two columns into logical collocations:

1. snow-                                             water
2. icy                                                   or so
3. spaced about                                to Pangong lake
4. dozen                                             capped
5. signature                                       drivable mountain pass
6. tourists made it                           ten metres apart
7. second-highest                             a scene
8. hair-                                               shot
9. featured                                         ganged into
10. press-                                           raising

 

Ex. 3 Provide English equivalents for these expressions.

1. Ośmiokrotnie-

2. Niemierzalne-

3. Studnia kamienna-

4. Rozpocząć coś-

5. Wady-

6. Prawie nietknięty krajobraz-

7. Śmiecić-

8. żeby nie zniszczyć terenu-

9. zrozumieć coś-

 

Ex. 4 Complete with the right form of the verb.

1 I’m interested in ………………………… (learn) English next year.
2 Doctors always advise …………………………. (reduce) cholesterol in our diets.
3 I’m looking forward to ………………………… (hear) from you soon.
4 Have you already finished ………………………….. (prepare) dinner?

 

GLOSSARY

Altitude  – wysokość nad poziomem morza
Sublime  – wyrafinowany
Depths  – głębokości
mounted on  – zainstalowany na
Props  – pomoce
Enthuse –  zarażać entuzjazmem
Intrepid  – dzielny, nieustraszony
Clamber  – gramolić się
wielding  – trzymające
snow-capped  – pokryte śniegiem
icy water  – lodowata woda
spaced about ten metres apart  – umieszczone około 10 metrów od siebie
dozen or so  – tuzin lub więcej
signature shot  – najbardziej charakterystyczny widok
tourists made it to Pangong lake  – turyści dotarli do jeziora Pangong
second-highest drivable mountain pass  – druga co do wysokości przejezna górska groga
hair-raising  – włosy stają dęba
featured a scene  – zawierać scenę
press-ganged into  – zmuszony do czegoś
Eightfold – Ośmiokrotnie
Unmeasurable  – Niemierzalne
Stepwell – studnia kamienna
set out to do – Rozpocząć coś
downsides  – wady
near-pristine habitat  – prawie nietknięty krajobraz
litter  – śmiecić
not to wreck the area – żeby nie zniszczyć terenu
cottoned onto  – zrozumieć coś

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